SPRINGDALE – Northwest Arkansas ended its six-game homestand against the Wichita Wind Surge, losing an 11-10 slugfest in front of 2,707 fans Sunday afternoon at Arvest Ballpark.
The loss snapped the Naturals' three-game win streak and dropped the team 2.5 games out of first place heading into a critical road series against the Arkansas Travelers that starts on Tuesday in Little Rock.
Wichita grabbed the lead in the first inning on Roy Morales' two-out RBI single to center field and later increased the lead to 4-0 on a monster three-run homer by Caleb Hamilton over the Home Run Porch and into the left-field berm.
A hit in the next at-bat prompted Northwest Arkansas manager Scott Thorman to make a pitching change, replacing starter Yefri Del Rosario with righty Nolan Watson.
Watson pitched 3.1 innings of shutout baseball, allowing just two hits.
The Naturals (40-37) first got on the board when Clay Dungan tripled in the third inning to send Kevin Merrell home from first base. Another run scored when MJ Melendez hit a sacrifice fly to deep left field, scoring Dungan to get within 4-2.
Hicklen knotted the game for Northwest Arkansas in the fourth when he sent a two-run shot into the left-field bleachers.
"He left a fastball up over the plate and was probably trying to go for a chase up but left it over the plate," Hicklen said. "I was able to take advantage of his mistake. Coach Nunez, our hitting coach, has been giving us good scouting reports, and we're going out there confident and with a plan, trying to attack the pitches we can attack."
He was determined to not let Wichita gain the lead back.
With two outs in the fifth and a runner on second, Hicklen made a fully extended diving grab on a shot to right field to rob the Wing Surge of a run, drawing a large round of applause from the home crowd.
"There's no question that outfield is something that I prioritize," Hicklen said. "I enjoy it out there and take it as a challenge.
"That's just part of my game that I feel like I've continued to improve on as well as my arm strength. I want to be a guy that's dependable to when the pitchers see a ball hit to right or left field, they know a play is going to get made."
The spectacular snag got the fifth inning party started for the Naturals. The bottom of the inning came with fireworks aplenty.
After deep foul balls just barely shy of being homers in his first two at-bats, Blake Perkins made a statement. With the bases loaded, Perkins drilled a grand slam into center field to put Northwest Arkansas ahead for the first time 8-4.
The offense didn't stop there. Hicklen singled, moved to second on a throwing error on a pickoff attempt and scored a hit from Merrell.
Hicklen's stellar defense was on display again in the sixth. Leadoff batter Aaron Whitefield sent a shot to deep right field. Hicklen made a running grab at the wall to keep Wichita at bay once again.
The Wind Surge eventually broke through in the seventh inning, scoring on a bases-loaded walk.
Walks proved to be the Achilles' heel for the Naturals which allowed 12 in the game, two resulting in scores.
Three more Wichita runs were scored in the frame, highlighted by BJ Boyd's two-RBI single which closed the Naturals' lead to 9-8.
The lead would vanish for Northwest Arkansas in the eighth when D.J. Burt doubled on a sharp line drive to right field, which brought two more runners home. Another run came across the plate in the inning to make it 11-9.
The Naturals scored one run in the bottom of the eighth to get within a run.